The chief usher’s job is a demanding one, overseeing most aspects of White House operations, from tours and state dinners to the mansion’s historic preservation.

Reid is currently general manager at the Ritz-Carlton in Alexandria, Va., but has also helped run properties in Miami, New York, Washington, D.C., and Rocky Hill, Conn. She’s replacing Rear Adm. Stephen Rochon, the first black to hold the usher’s post, who took a post at the Department of Homeland Security.